Heart assist devices or pumps can be inserted in the circulatory system to pump blood from the ventricle to the vasculature. Such a pump is known as a ventricular assist device, or VAD. A VAD is useful when the ventricle alone is incapable of providing adequate blood flow.
Two implantable VADs, each with associated pump control equipment, have typically been used to provide bi-ventricular support for heart failure patients.